HUELSMAN (Goodwin), Wanda Faye
Wanda Faye Huelsman (nee: Goodwin), died on November 12, 2021, at the age of 83 in Wilmington, NC.
Born and raised in the Dayton, Ohio area, she attended school in Miamisburg and was a graduate of Miamisburg High School, Class of 1956. Wanda learned to play the violin in her early teens and performed in several recitals at the Dayton Art Institute. Not long after graduating from high school, Wanda moved to Long Beach, California where she met the late Dorvin "Bill" Johnson.
Wanda returned to Ohio with Bill, who she later married and with whom she had three children.
Wanda loved music, including jazz, blues, folk, classical, classic rock and even disco. She exhibited her love of music by dancing around her living room with Neil Diamond piping throughout the house. Wanda had many passions in her life. Foremost was her love and dedication to rescued pets. In
recent years, she spent most days walking her beloved dog, Monty, and petting her cat, Scout. Wanda enjoyed traveling, and some of her most memorable vacations included a safari in Kenya and exploring the Bahamas. She loved the diversity of San Francisco and the electricity of New York City. Wanda derived much pleasure in eating ethnic foods with a special affinity for Italian, Indian and seafood. Wanda enjoyed reading (memoirs were her favorite), walking on the beach, playing board games and cards with her family, and feeling the sunshine on her face.
Causes important to Wanda included social justice, the environment, and animal welfare. Wanda was also passionate about politics which translated to knocking on doors to garner support of candidates she believed in, from Presidents John F. Kennedy to Barack Obama, and many in-between.
In 2015, Wanda decided to pursue her lifelong dream of living by the ocean, and she moved to Wilmington, NC. She fully
enjoyed the many beaches in the area, as well as the mild
winters. She prided herself in working out at a local gym (into her 80s!) where she was admired by staff and other gym members for her dedication to her physical health.
Until March 2021, Wanda lived independently in her own home. Two unfortunate and significant falls in 2021 led to multiple injuries leaving her unable to live independently. Two months after her second fall, Wanda died in a local
Wilmington hospital with Leslie, her oldest, by her side.
Wanda is preceded in death by her late husband, John Huelsman; mother, Mary Goodwin; and grandson, Nicholas Johnson.
Wanda is survived by her father, Dean Goodwin of Miamisburg; her three children Leslie Johnson (Michelle Boltin) of Wilmington, NC; Kevin Johnson (Jeanne) of Raleigh, NC; and Lori Johnson (Rob Pannier) of Trenton, Maine; as well as siblings Bonnie VanZandt of Lebanon, Ohio, and Larry Goodwin (Connie) of Harrogate, TN. Wanda also leaves
behind five grandchildren: Aubrey Rollings (Adam) of Sneads Ferry, NC, and Kathryn, Matthew, Kimberly, and Nathaniel Johnson of Raleigh, NC. Great-grandchildren, Maverick and Emmylou Rollings of Sneads Ferry, NC, also survive Wanda's death, as do many cousins.
Per Wanda's wishes, no services are being held. Her ashes will be comingled with the ashes of her beloved late husband, John Huelsman. In Wanda's memory, if you feel so moved, kindly rescue from your local animal shelter or provide a
donation.
HUELSMAN, Wanda
